A U.S. military 'at its breaking point' considers foreign recruits

[Don_1967]

The armed forces, already struggling to meet recruiting goals, are considering expanding the number of noncitizens in the ranks, including disputed proposals to open recruiting stations overseas and put more immigrants on a faster track to U.S. citizenship if they volunteer, according to Pentagon officials.
Full Story:http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/26/news/military.php

[Kagemusha]

1. Incidentally, the Army claims it's smashed its recruiting goals, doesn't it?

So it's meeting goals but "struggling" to do so?

[NJCher]

2. yes, and morale is high

I heard that on the news. That's what the troops told bush.



Cher

[northofdenali]

12. I guarantee * didn't get that info from our local troops -

the 172nd Stryker Brigade members I've spoken to are, to a troop, anti-Bush, anti-Iraq and say morale is at an all-time low, particularly outside the Green Zone.

[rug]

3. The Hessians may still be available.

[peacetalksforall]

4. I remember Bush making a statement in a speech or conference

(speech, I believe) that African peace keeping soldiers would be a good deal. Only mentioned men.

This was after the deaths of our kids was mounting. My first and only thought - he considers Africans as dispensable.

[Shoedogg]

5. Man, I am a paranoid bastard...

All I could think when I read this is, "Gee, I bet they'd be a lot more compliant towards orders to fire on Americans if ordered to do so than would American troops."

[Earth_First]

6. In related news: 'Dubai firm to handle U.S. overseas recruiting goals...'

News at eleven!

[Delphinus]

7. Is this ...

the *ultimate* outsourcing?

[shadowknows69]

8. It's already being done

apparently right under our noses. I've met some of them personally. I don't know why this is coming out now as "news" and the rhetoric of "considering" being used.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Because until now

at least officially only foreginers who had a green card served in the military, and were liable to the draft too

Now we are going to openly go recruit a foreign legion

[iamahaingttta]

10. I was waiting for this to happen...

And I knew it was only days away when I read last week how Bush wants to increase the size of the military.
I said to sweetie "Just watch. Real soon they'll start talking about enlisting foreigners."
And there it is!

[Crunchy Frog]

11. That way, when a soldier gets killed,

it will matter even less than it already does to most Americans.

[tabasco]

13. A sign of a society in decline.

Hiring mercenaries.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. Stealing jobs Americans won't do?

The irony is too delicious. Better killers than lettuce pickers.

[roamer65]

15. When an empire can't get its own citizens to fight...

...you know it's in its dying days. Rome, Britain and so goes the USA.

[NJCher]

18. I wouldn't disagree with you on that

As it's well known that the U.S. has been on the decline since the early seventies.

On the other hand, it could also be the most stark evidence ever that we have an administration that absolutely does not have the support of the people. It cannot get its own people to fight for its objectives. It does have the power to spend the people's money, so it spends it paying foreigners to achieve those objectives.

Either way or both, it's highly dysfunctional. Outright sick, actually.



Cher

[Posteritatis]

16. Hmmm

If I remember correctly, the US has accepted non-citizens for a long time in the military, and as the article says there's places that have a fairly respect-worthy tradition of allowing non-citizens on-board. On the other hand, actually opening up recruitment centres abroad really feels like a mercenary sort of thing to me, even if the recruits would be under military discipline.

That said, if they do that sort of thing, and the recruits do their tour and get discharged honorably at the end of it, I can't say I have much of a problem with them getting fast-tracked to citizenship. I'm not sure what I think about the idea of their enlisting in the first place, but if they're going to put their heads on the chopping block in this day and age they damn well deserve some recognition by the Pentagon for doing so.

[bdamomma]

17. outsourcing the military now? what bastards this regime is,

they just want to privatize everything don't they?

[alfredo]

19. Foederati , fighters from outlying tribes and nations were used

by the Roman Empire in its dying days. Eventually these foreign units became the vast majority of Rome's military. In time they turned on Rome.